Tommy Shelby

Thomas Michael "Tommy" Shelby (1890-) was a British politician and gangster who led the Peaky Blinders gang in Birmingham before later turning to politics as the Labour MP for Small Heath. He was the younger brother of Arthur Shelby, the gang's former leader.

Early life
Thomas Michael Shelby was born in Small Heath, Birmingham, England in 1890, the son of an Irish immigrant father and a mother of Romani extraction. He was the son of Arthur Shelby, Sr. and the brother of Arthur Shelby, and the brothers were involved with the organized crime gang, the Peaky Blinders, during their youths. They were both drafted into the British Army during World War I, and Tommy Shelby served as a sapper and a Sergeant-Major in the Small Heath Rifles. His actions at the 1914 Battle of Mons saved thousands of Allied lives, and he was also recognized for his bravery at the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Verdun. His flawless conduct earned him the Military Medal and the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Peaky Blinders
After returning home from the war, Shelby became a respected figure in the neighborhood. His brother Arthur became the leader of the Peaky Blinders, but he relied on Tommy to be the brains behind his criminal enterprise. Tommy fixed horse races by going to a young Chinese girl who could perform a powder trick on the horse, and he also secretly (and accidentally) stole an arms shipment from Belfast in 1919, leading to Inspector Chester Campbell being sent to investigate the gang's operations. Arthur's mental health began to deteriorate due to war trauma and his father's abuse, and he eventually decided to cede control of the gang to Tommy.